The Pope's Intentions
By the 1880s Pope Leo XIII could see that this simple, profound way of life was spreading so he announced prayer intentions for every month to go with the Daily Offering. They would bring members closer to each other and closer to Christ. Pope Pius XI added a specific missionary intention for each month in 1929. These intentions are prayed specifically for those who make a commitment to spreading the Gospel around the world. Today, the Pope still announces two monthly intentions.
On its 100th anniversary in 1944 Pope Pius XII gave thanks to God for the Apostleship of Prayer, calling it "one of the most efficacious means for the salvation of souls, since it concerns prayer and prayer in common." He commended the organization for its goal: "to pray assiduously for the needs of the Church and to try to satisfy them through daily offering."
In 1985 Pope John Paul II called the Apostleship of Prayer "a precious treasure from the Pope's heart and the Heart of Christ."
By the year 2000 the Apostleship of Prayer had over 40 million members, 50 different Messengers of the Sacred Heart, and 40 other periodicals.
Read more about this topic: Apostleship
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